Of Love and War
by selemi
Summary: A love story between Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger. Based on the Greek myth about Helen of Troy and Paris during the Trojan War. Another attempt at a mult-fic chapter.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Lately, I've been into everything Ancient Greek. One story that really captured my heart was the Trojan War. I've adapted the story for a Dramione audience.  
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Astoria and Daphne Greengrass were given a present with the label "To the most beautiful Greengrass." In it was a simple necklace with a gorgeous jade pendant. Imediately, they both claimed it to be their's.

"It says _beautiful_," Daphne said hotly to her younger sister. "Which clearly means me."  
Astoria, who knew she could never win this arguement, said, "Perhaps we should let someone else decide."  
"Fine," Daphne snapped, "We'll have Draco decide."  
"What?" Astoria looked mortified. Daphne knew of her long secret crush on Draco.  
"That shouldn't be a problem, should it?"  
"N-no, of course not," Astoria whispered.  
"Good." And with that, Daphne stormed out triumphantly.  
Astoria wasn't in Slytherin for nothing. So naturally, she had a plan.

Not to say that Daphne wasn't cunning. No, she quickly rushed to Draco as soon as she left her sister in the Slytherin Common Room. She knew he would be in the library. For a reason she couldn't fathom, he was spending more and more of his time there.

"Dracoo," she trilled as she found where he was sitting.  
"Daphne!" He cried out flustered. "What are you doing here?"  
"I came to see you, silly," she said twirling her hair.  
"Well you saw me," he said looking for a way out, "I got to go, bye!"  
"Wait," she said sharply. Any pretense of a cheerful visit was gone from her voice. "My sister and I have a dispute over who is the most beautiful and we have agreed for you to decide. You will choose me and I will be sure to give you a favor in return. Understood?"  
"Yeah, yeah," he said distracted, trying to look at something at the other side of the library. "Listen, I got to go."  
"You better keep your promise, Malfoy," she said harshly as she watched him follow after someone.  
She smirked, "And if you don't, you're little secret will be known to the whole school."

Astoria fiddled with her fingers nervously in the Slytherin common rooms. She clutched the medal in her pocket to make sure it was there. That medal would definitely be the way for Draco to pick her. She took deep breathes to calm herself down. She was always a wreck when she saw Draco. She stared at the common room door, waiting for him to enter. She waited for an hour until finally he entered the room. She got up from her chair and walked awkwardly towards Draco.

"D-Draco," she squeaked out.  
"Astoria," he said irratedly.  
"This won't take a minute, I promise," she said hurriedly.  
" Okay, go," he said tapping his foot.  
"My sister and I-"  
"Yeah yeah, I know about your little contest. And you want me to pick you, right?"  
She blushed a little and said, "Um. Yes, I really want you to pick me and if you do, I-I have this amulet that will guarantee that the one you love is yours that you can have if you pick me." She was sure that sentence was poorly constructed but was surprised she managed to say anything at all.  
"Really..." He said disbelieving. "How do I know it works?"  
"I..um..my honor?"  
He snorted; as if Slytherins had any honor. "I'll go with that for now. But if it doesn't work, you'll be sorry."  
"Of course," she said nodding. "Thanks again." She resisted the urge to hug him and ran to the girls' dorms.

* * *

The three Slytherins sat in a secluded corner of the common rooms. Astoria and Daphne were standing on one side and an impatient Draco on the other. Daphne handed him the box that contained the pendant with a knowing smile. He stole a glance at Astoria who pulled out the purple amulet just long enough for him to see it and pushed it back quickly into her robes so her sister wouldn't see the amulet.

"Okay Draco, give the box to either my sister or_ me._" Daphne said sharply, emphasizing the last word.

There was a moment of tension between the two sisters. Daphne scowled and Astoria bit her lips.

"Astoria," Draco said coolly, tossing the small box to her. Daphne walked towards Draco.  
"Watch your back, Draco," she whispered dangerously so her sister wouldn't here and stormed to the girls' dorms.  
"T-Thank you, Draco," Astoria stammered. Her fingers eagerly opened the box to put the pendant on.  
"Not so fast, Greengrass," Draco said his arm leaning on the wall behind her, effectively trapping her. "The amulet."  
"Oh right," she said blushing. Her hand slipped into her robes and produced the crude purple wooden amulet. "Draco, its really old and valuable. Do be careful with it," She whispered.  
"Of course," he said with a crafty smile and slipped the amulet into his robes. "Here, let me help you with that," he offered as he saw her struggle to close the clasp to her necklace with the pendant that she won. Astoria's heart beat quickened when she felt his cold fingers graze her neck while closing the clasp. Draco smirked and left. The poor girl didn't even try to hide her crush on him.

He walked briskly out of the common room. He couldn't hide his excitement. Finally, he would have the one thing he wanted above everything: her love. His mind filled with fantasies of her. His brisk walk turned into a dreamy pace towards the library. He could always find her there. In his love-crazed stupor, he failed to notice the person discreetly following him. His thoughts had room only for her. He entered the library and stood behind the bookshelves at his usual spot where he could gaze undisturbed at her for hours. She never failed to show up precisely at this spot at this time. His eyes traced her outline and observed her graceful fingers that patiently wrote her thoughts on the paper. He averted his eyes from a few agonizing seconds to pull out the amulet from his pocket. He longed to use it when he realized he didn't know how. He cursed himself for not asking Astoria.

In frustration, he stormed out of the library.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I'm sorry it took so long to put up this chapter. It was a hectic week.

I recently started a blog and post story ideas and drafts as well as story chapters. The address is never-ending-inspiration . b l o g s p o t . c o m

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

"Greengrass!" Draco's sharp voice rang out in the Slytherin common room.

Both Greengrass sisters turned their head. Daphne's shrewed and cunning look was missed by no one. Although the same couldn't be said for Astoria's nervous nail biting. Draco's calculating eyes searched the curious common room for the girl he was looking for. He took long strides to her and whispered in her ear, "Meet me at the library in five minutes."

She shivered because of his voice and nodded. With that, Draco left the common room. All the while, their exchange was not unnoticed by Daphne, nor the rest of the Slytherins for that matter. As soon as Draco left the common room whispers of fresh gossip circulated. What did he say? Was there a possible blackmail in progress? Or perhaps love? Daphne walked casually over to her sister.

"What did he say?" She asked coldly. Losing the contest to her sister did not bode well with Daphne.  
"N-nothing," Astoria stammered out. She didn't want her sister to know about the bribe. She also liked having a secret with Draco-even if it wasn't a secret love.  
"Don't lie to me, Astoria," There was a minute pause. "You don't want me as your enemy."  
Astoria kept back a gasp. This simple competition tore them apart. True, they were never as close as some sisters, but Daphne never threatened her like this.  
"I'm waiting," Daphne reminded testily.  
"I don't have to answer to you," Astoria replied.

Trembling, she got up and left the common room. She brushed back tears that threatened to spill and suddenly remembered that Draco had given her five minutes to shake off anyone and meet him at the library. Taking one look behind her to confirm that her sister wasn't there, she ran to the library. Draco was extremely punctual and being late would only make him angrier. She didn't understand why he was angry. There was nothing wrong with the amulet. She dared not acknowledge the one thought she wished was true: he would ask her. He wouldn't need her amulet to win her. No, she'd probably run to him willingly; which was a thought that saddened her. She turned right and entered the library. She looked around for Draco. When she saw him her heart skipped a beat. The expression on his face was so loving and adoring. He seemed to be completely immersed in something. She longed to be that something but knew it was futile. She hesitantly walked up to him. She just stared at him for a while, not sure whether to address him and break the silence or not.

"Draco?" She whispered, afraid he'd get angry for intruding him like this but then again he did ask her to talk to him. This was all very confusing.

It seemed her words broke the magical spell and his face turned sharply towards her with the blank and guarded expression as always.

"How do you use the amulet?" Blunt and to the point. He didn't want to admit to himself that he should have asked Astoria this the minute he had the amulet.  
"The amulet is like a necklace. You put it on the one you love," she said nervously. She just remembered why she never tried it on Draco. Daphne had told her that the amulet required a spell to be said but would not reveal to Astoria what the spell was.  
"Is that all?" He questioned.  
"Um.. well.." Astoria stammered under his penetrating gaze.  
"Well?" He asked impatiently.  
"No," she whispered turned her head away from him. Desperately trying to avoid his eyes.  
"What is it then?" He demanded. He was losing his patience and was trying very hard not to shake the girl and yell which would result in the librarian removing them both from the library.  
"Y-you have to say a magical spell," her heart beat faster and faster. She was in for it now.  
"I. Don't. Have. All. Day. Greengrass." He said grinding his teeth.  
"Idon'tknowwhattheyare," Astoria mumbled.  
"Come again?"  
"I don't know the words," she managed to squeak out.  
"Greengrass," he growled grabbing the front of her robes. "What did I say about trying to fool me?"  
She tried to defend herself. "I didn't mean to, I swear! I forgot about the spell and-"  
"-I don't care about what you have to say, Greengrass. You have two days to get the spell to me. Or else." With that he let go of her robes and left her leaning on the bookshelf wishing the pendant was never gifted to her and her sister. What had she gotten herself into?

She slowly walked back to the Slytherin common rooms. The walk there seemed to talk no time in her wallowing misery. She would be in so much trouble. She tried not to think of Draco's wrath and what he would be likely to do to her if she couldn't find the magic spell for the amulet. Only Daphne knew the spell and she doubted her sister would give it to her. She quickly went into the girls dorms to avoid the other Slytherins.

Luckily, there was no one in the dorms. She was going to find that spell-even if it meant tearing up the dorms and getting into unthinkable trouble with her friends, at least Draco wouldn't be upset with her. Her sister was bound to have it written down somewhere and she was going to find it.

* * *

Draco paced furiously in the boys' dorms. If Astoria couldn't find the spell, what was he supposed to do? Maybe he could find it? He examined the amulet. It was crudely carved wood painted purple. The shape was abstract. It appeared to have no magical qualities to it. He pulled and pried at it to see if it had any secret compartments when to his horror the amulet snapped in half. He was thoroughly worried that he broke the amulet when he noticed the amulet was hollow. He picked up the two halves and saw that there was a small note in it.

_Third drawer on the right. _

He could recognize that handwriting anywhere. It was the same handwriting that wrote him countless secret admirer letters. The ones written by Daphne Greengrass. He smiled to himself. It amused him how both Greengrass sisters were enamored with him. Draco slipped the note into his pocket. He was sure the amulet would attach itself and placed the two ends side by side. Sure enough the amulet came whole again. Pleased with himself, he made his way to the girls' dorms.

Unlike the Gryffindor girls' dorms, the Slytherin ones' stairs do not turn into a slide when a boy enters. This is partially because the dorms are further below the dungeons that is their common room and would just help the boys get there faster and because Salazar Slytherin found no need to prohibit boys from entering girls' common rooms-something he kept a secret from the rest of the Founders, which is why it is not mentioned in _Hogwarts: A History_.

He confidently strode in and made his way to the dorm that Astoria shared with her classmates. His mouth dropped slightly open when he saw the mess within. Astoria stood in the middle of it. When she noticed Draco she froze. Had he changed his mind? What would he do?

She tried desperately to explain herself. "I'm sorry Draco, I tried to find it, I really did, but I can't think where-"

"Do you ever shut up?" He asked irritated. Astoria promptly clamped her mouth her hands. "Good, now, I found this slip of paper in the amulet." Astoria's eyes widened. "It said third drawer on the right in your sister's handwriting." A muffled noise came from Astoria's mouth. "You can take your hand off you mouth!" He said annoyed.

"I checked the drawers but there was nothing in it."

"A false bottom perhaps? Surprised how you find anything in this mess," he said sticking his nose up in the air. "Find the spell by tomorrow, Greengrass. You should thank me for the hint."

"Of course," she said weakly. And with that he left the room.

_Inside _the amulet? She checked that amulet thousands of times and never found anything. She proceeded to the drawers as the note said and opened the third drawer on the right. She tapped it with her wand and muttered "Reveal your secrets." The drawer shook back and forth and she heard a rattling sound coming from inside the structure of the drawer. She said a few more incantations and discovered, as Draco predicted, a false bottom. Inside was a small box plainly decorated. She opened the box and heard a clicking sound and a puff of air spurt out from the hinges. But she was too excited to notice that. She had only eyes for the slip of paper inside it with a spell beautifully written on it. Astoria smiled. She had found the spell.

* * *

Review?


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I apologize for the delay but I've been working on some original stories that took up more of my time. Check out my blog ( n e v e r - e n d i n g - i n s p i r a t i o n . b l o g s p o t . c o m ,with out the spaces) for more info on updates and other stories.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

Daphne Greengrass wasn't an idiot. When she knew her sister wanted the spell to the amulet, she took extra precautions to make sure that was something she wouldn't get. But in the highly unlikely chance her sister found the spell in its hidden location, she was prepared with a security system that she would never admit to stealing from _muggles _but she did: security cameras. But this wasn't an ordinary, plain, drab, backwards camera, no it was designed to start capturing perfect video and sound from the moment the box was opened. The only glitch was that it emitted a puff of air as soon as it was opened but hopefully no one would notice it. This video was magically linked to a Galleon in her pocket that she kept at all times that would burn hot when the camera was sending video magically to the coin. She could then say an incantation on the coin that would show her the video the camera captured. No, she would never admit to stealing that idea from that _mudblood Granger, _but she did.

So It came as complete surprise to Daphne when during a drab class of History of Magic, the coin burned. She got up and left the classroom. No one cared; the teacher who was currently falling asleep during his own lecture certainly didn't. She pulled out the coin and said the incantation for it. It played back to her the precious video it captured. She saw her sister with a goofy grin on her face. She was clutching to the slip of paper with the spell. Then she whispered something so quietly that Daphne had trouble detecting what she said though the camera, despite its high sensitivity to sound. She replayed it, louder, a couple times before finally hearing what her sister had said: "Draco will be so happy!". Daphne fumed with anger. So, her sister was going behind her back to help Draco, her pathetic crush. Well, she had warned her sister not to make her her enemy. Daphne was going to make them both pay: her for treachery, and him for not picking her. They will both be sorry, oh yes.

That night in the Slytherin Common Rooms, she observed Draco and Astoria sitting awfully too close together in a secluded area. She pulled out an invisibility cloak, that again, she would never admit to stealing from _Potter, _but she did. She slipped it over herself and hovered over to the two.

"Do you have the slip?" Draco asked quietly. It wasn't a whisper, but both Greengrass sisters had trouble hearing him. Astoria nodded and passed the paper to him. Draco smirked. "Well, it was nice doing business with you, Astoria. Good-bye." Draco got up and left. Daphne suspected that her sister was yet to notice that he left seeing as he addressed her by her first name.

As soon as Daphne knew Draco had gone back to the boys' dorms, she pulled off the invisibility cloak and revealed herself to her sister. Astoria gasped when her sister appeared out of nowhere.

"Daphne!" She exclaimed nervously. "What are you doing here?"  
"I think the better question is, why you went against me to help that slimy Malfoy?" Daphne hissed. "I warned you not to make me your enemy."  
"Daphne, please," Astoria pleaded. "I didn't go against you. I just wanted to win the pendant."  
"Hmph," Daphne sneered. "Watch your back." With that she stormed out.

* * *

The next day, Draco couldn't conceal his excitement. He went through his classes in a crazed stupor that even unnerved Snape. By dinner, Slytherin House was thoroughly worried about Draco. This took skill as Slytherins rarely worry about others.

"Draco," Pansy said nervously. "Draco?" She asked again. This was scaring her now. She, along with many others, have said his name out loud in various tones and accents and could not gain his attention.

Finally Draco got up and everyone let out a sigh of relief that he was back to normal. But instead of addressing them, he left the Great Hall. Only Daphne wasn't surprised by his actions. She was surprised that the rest of the House hadn't put it together yet. Wasn't it obvious by his constant staring at the Gryffindor table, always sneaking off into the library, and how he had stopped insulting Grange? Wasn't it obvious hat he had a traitorous crush on Granger? Was she the only one with brains in this House? She held back her tongue from shouting this out. She had a plan. A plan that would bring his pathetic crush out in the open in the most humiliating way. Little did he know, that amulet didn't bring true love.

She got up and put on the cloak. She laughed at how Potter still hadn't noticed it was missing. Maybe he spent less of his time on late-night hijinks than people thought. She followed him to the doorstep of the library and followed him to the bookshelf where he usually spent gazing at Granger. Daphne did a wordless spell of "accio" to summon the locket from his pocket. She waited and realized that he didn't have the amulet with him. That made it easier. She dashed out of the library and made her way to the dungeons where the Slytherin Common rooms. No one was inside since they were all at the Great Hall for dinner. Once in, she went straight to the boys' dorms. She tried the spell again and grinned when the amulet fell into her hands' grasp.

"Geminio!" She cried gleefully and smirked in triumph when she placed the perfect, but useless, copy of the amulet back in the place she found it.

She head sharp foot steps and quickly disappeared into the cloak. She held her breath as Draco walked into the room. He swished his want and muttered "Accio Amulet". Daphne could feel the amulet tug on her hand to fly into the hands of Draco. Meanwhile, the copy lay still on his bed. Cautiously, she pulled out her wand and did a wordless charm of "Wingardium Leviosa" on the fake amulet and guided it towards Draco. Draco's eyebrows narrowed. He knew someone was there.

"Homenum Revelio," Draco whispered. A small pause as he walked towards Daphne under the cloak. "I knew you were here the minute my accio charm was delayed," he said coldly as he pulled the cloak off her.

"Only retrieving what is rightfully mine," Daphne snarled.  
"What's given for a bribe cannot be reclaimed," Draco said without expression. He snatched the amulet from her grasp. "Now I suggest you leave before I hex you."  
"I'm not afraid of you, Malfoy," she sneered. "You're name is worth nothing these days."  
"I didn't bring up my name," he said quietly. "Now if I were you, I'd leave before someone catches a girl in a boy's dorm."

Daphne blushed in spite of herself and stormed out of his dorm with a lingering glare. She vowed to herself to not let this insult go unpunished.


End file.
